THE SPECTACULAR EASTERN SIERRAS: Guest Post by Tom Scheaffer

Mobius Arch, Alabama Hills, California

My brother, Tom Scheaffer, loves the outdoors and recently took a trip with two friends from their home in San Diego, CA, up the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Lake Tahoe. On the way, they stopped at Mammoth Lakes and Lone Pine. Here is Tom's report:

Camping at Mammoth Lakes. Note the snow patches at higher elevations.

Two weeks ago, I took a road trip to Mammoth Lakes and Lone Pine, CA.  We camped at an idyllic lake in the pine woods at 8,000 feet.  The night air was cold, but swimming in the lake the next morning was a real energizer.  The temperature rises quickly in the Sierra Nevada summer, and the lake water was refreshing. 

The trail to Mobius Arch

Our next stop was at the Alabama Hills near the Mount Whitney portal, where hikers start the journey up the highest mountain in the lower 48 states.The Alabama Hills are a formation of rounded rocks and eroded hills set between the jagged peaks of the Sierra Nevada and the Inyo Mountains to the east. We hiked about half a mile to Mobius Arch, which is in an incredible area of massive rock formations. Click HERE for a guide to the trail.

Tom Scheaffer at the Mobius Arch trail head.

In the above photo, Mount Whitney is the peak to the right of my head. At an elevation of 14,505 feet, Mt. Whitney is the tallest peak in the “lower 48,” but ranks 11th in the United States (the top ten are all in Alaska.) If you are ever traveling on Highway 395 along the eastern Sierra, take the time to visit Alabama Hills, preferably at sunrise or sunset when the shadows accentuate these unique rock formations.